Stranger of the Light
by urcool91
Summary: A stranger comes to Tatooine. Nobody knows who he is, but he may change the galaxy. COMPLETE!
1. A Complete Stranger

_A complete stranger has the capacity to alter the life of another irrevocably._

_J.D. Stroube_

No one knew where the stranger came from.

He had appeared in the desert one day and found a transport to take him to Mos Espa. The first thing he had inquired was what year it was. When he had been told by a trader he had stood in shock a few moments, then walked away. That, of course, had gotten people talking. Why had he not known the year and seemed so shocked when he heard it? Who was he, coming out of the middle of nowhere in a strange robe?

When a particularly inquisitive child had asked, he said that his name was Ben. The child's eyes had grown wide, and he had run off to tell some of his age mates. This strange old man, Ben, could only be the wizard Black Ben. This soon became an undisputed fact.

The first impulse of people was to pool their resources and hire a bounty hunter to get the man. Black Ben had been blamed for the disappearances of many over the years. But that first impulse was soon forgotten when they saw what he could do. It was undoubtedly magic.

Oh, not obvious magic. The people of Tatooine knew enough to know that a wizard couldn't openly flaunt his powers. But there were the little things that he did almost on a regular basis. He could find where a missing part was without even looking. He knew almost uncannily who would have the best chance at the podraces. He could ease peoples' pain just by touching them. Most importantly, he gave all these gifts freely.

No one knew where the stranger came from. Now no one particularly cared. He was obviously not the evil presence they had feared so long. He was a gift of the desert, sent to them to help them out of the poverty they had been living in for so long.

Three years after he had appeared in Tatooine, he got word that a slave was about to give birth.


	2. Faith

_Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase._

_Martin Luther King Jr._

It was a dark and stormy night on Tatooine.

Black Ben was ushered to a slave compound at the edge of Mos Espa. The boy who he followed wouldn't say anything but that a slave was giving birth and very sick. Ben shivered despite the warm desert air. He had been counting down the days until this one would come. Now that it was here, he didn't know what to do.

When he arrived at the crowded compound, the slaves instantly parted to let him through to the woman. Ben looked down at the face of Shmi Skywalker and closed his eyes. They all put faith in him, too much faith. He placed a hand on her swollen stomach, reaching out to calm her and help, in the little way he could, to ease the pain of bringing her son into this harsh, unforgiving wasteland.

The child was pure Light. Ben was surprised, though in retrospect he shouldn't have been. No one is ever born in Darkness, and he had known this child when he was still a Jedi. But, for some reason, he had thought the presence would already be tainted with Darkness. Slowly he released the old memories into the Force, unwilling to let them take control for a time.

"Well, Ms. Skywalker," he said, gently holding the child in his arms, "what will you name him?" Shmi Skywalker's face broke into a radiant smile.

"Anakin," she whispered. Ben smiled sadly.

"A beautiful name," he said.


	3. New Life

_I feel like I have a new life and I'm going to take full advantage of it._

_William Green_

Black Ben was Light. Even three-year-old Anakin could feel that much.

The wizened old wizard stood in front of Guerilla's seat of power, her throne so to speak. His hands where placed on his hips, and he radiated an aria of power that hinted that there was more to him than what he had revealed to the citizens of Mos Espa. His eyes, usually blue and twinkling, were a stormy grey.

"Guerilla, we have a bit of a problem," the wizard said softly.

_"Your request will not be granted, scum," _said Guerilla in Huttese. Ben sighed as though this was all routine, boring.

"It is not a request, it's a demand," he said. "You will sell two of your slaves to me or I will be forced to take more drastic measures."

_"You say sell? You have no money."_

"I have enough. How much will they cost?" Guerilla looked Anakin and his mom up and down, and Anakin shuddered.

_"500." _

"The boy is untrained. 400."

_"Do you expect me to barter with you, wizard? 450." _Ben smiled.

"Done," he said, tossing a small bag of money to Guerilla. She grunted and counted the money, then reluctantly handed their remotes to a slave, who gave them to Black Ben. Anakin's eyes widened. He was going to be sold to a wizard!

"Come on, you two," said Black Ben, still smiling. Anakin's mom was clutching his hand tightly as they followed Ben out to his land-speeder. He jumped into the co-pilot's seat, and Ben raised an eyebrow. Anakin heard his mom's breath hitch, but he wasn't afraid of the wizard.

"Can I sit in the co-pilot's seat?" said Anakin. Ben let out a bark of laughter.

"Do you need to ask permission?" he said, stepping in and starting the ignition.


	4. Name

_People's fates are simplified by their names._

_Elias Canetti_

Sometimes Ben really, really hated the Force.

For example, there was absolutely no reason why he couldn't have watched Anakin from a distance, as he had planned. Then the boy could have grown up as he would have if Ben had never come. But the Force urged him to buy Anakin and Ms. Skywalker, and he had to obey.

Ben chanced a glance at Anakin. The little boy was so innocent, so trusting, so- so _light_ that it made Ben want to cry. He knew that this was who Anakin had been before… everything, and that somehow Ben had destroyed this child.

"Why're you lookin' at me?" Ben quickly turned his eyes back to the Dune Sea. "You're sad." Ben heard Ms. Skywalker's small, gasping intake of breath.

"How do you know that?" he said.

"I don't know," said Anakin. "You just feel sad. Why are you sad?" Ben sighed. He really did hate the Force.

"Because I had a friend, and he… died. You remind me of him."

"Oh," said Anakin. "Was he nice?" Ben blinked the sand from his eyes.

"Mostly. We… we had our disagreements, but he was like a brother to me, an annoying, reckless, stupid younger brother who didn't know when to listen." Anakin looked a little confused, so Ben smiled.

"Oh, you're just kidding around, right?"

"No," said Ben, the smile disappearing from his face. Anakin didn't know why, but what he'd said had made it worse. Anakin bit his bottom lip. He'd just have to try to fix it, then.

"What was his name?" said Anakin. Ben stared into the distance for a moment, wondering what he should tell the boy. An old presence wrapped around him and whispered a name in his ear.

"Eligor," said Ben. "His name was Eligor."

_A/N: Eligor was a dark angel in ancient mythology. He appeared as a white (good) knight with a lance, saving people before sending them down the path to Hell._


	5. Routine

_The less routine the more life._

_Amos Bronson Alcott_

Life with Ben soon settled into a pleasant, if slightly boring, routine. When Anakin woke up, Ben was always crouching outside their hut, silhouetted in the bright morning sunlight. When he noticed Anakin he would stand up and start up a breakfast. He (or sometimes they) would finish it by the time Anakin's mom was awake.

Shmi Skywalker was the happiest she'd ever been in her life. At first she had been… hesitant. Black Ben was generally known to be kind, but she could see no reason why he'd want two slaves. She had learned to be careful of everyone, to trust no one. But now… Ben wasn't asking anything of her. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he had bought them purely for the company. She knew that eventually he would want something from her and her Ani, but for now she could lower her guard, if only a little.

Life went on. Ben was beginning to wonder if there had been any point in the Force telling him to buy Anakin and Shmi Skywalker. As life went on, wounds began to scab over at last. New skin was being formed. Scars from forever ago faded.

If the world could have gone on this way forever, Ben would have let it. The pain from everything was the least it had been since… well, since he had been 13. But, of course, the Force had to throw a hydrospanner in his peace. It called him to another village.


	6. Love, Hate, and Change

_Only love stops hate. Change our world, love your enemies._

_Anonymous _

At first the call seemed routine. Late one night, just after Ben had drank his last cup of tea, there was a knock at the door. Anakin answered it and then screamed. Just a little though. It didn't even really count as a scream. Besides, what would you do if a Tuskan Raider suddenly showed up at your door?

"Ro-Gar, what is it?" said Ben. The sand person gestured frantically.

"Chieftain hurt badly," said Ro-Gar. "We have need of your magic, Wizard." Ben got up from his seat and rushed to the back of the hovel. He quickly returned with a satchel.

"Come on, Anakin," he said.

"Wait, we're going _with it_?"

"Of course," said Ben. "Now come on."

"But it's a-"

"_He _needs our help, Anakin, and I am willing to help however I can, as you would no doubt want Ro-Gar to do if you were injured. Now, come." Still glaring at the Tuskan Raider suspiciously, Anakin obeyed.


	7. Beliefs

_It's what you choose to believe that makes you the person you are._

_Karen Marie Moning_

A strong wind whipped sand up and around them as they followed Ro-Gar to the Tuskan village. Ben was as steady and calm as ever, but Anakin was more than a little nervous. Everyone knew that Sand People were savages and not to be trusted. Ro-Gar, too, seemed nervous.

"Here are we," he said at last. They were standing outside a large dome covered in the skins of some large creature. "Wizard, you come. Boy, you stay."

"Anakin comes with me." Ben's voice was low but as unyielding as permisteel. Ro-Gar shuffled from foot to foot.

"He is no cure," said the Sand Person. "His cannot be here."

"Why?" said Anakin loudly. Ro-Gar shuffled faster, almost as if he was doing a dance.

"Too young," he said. "This is a big place. You are too young for the sand."

"What do you mean?" Anakin demanded.

"It's their religion, Anakin," said Ben calmly.

"Well, it's a stupid-"

"Even if we don't believe, we can still respect the beliefs of others," said Ben. "I'll be right out when I've finished up with this." Ro-Gar seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief, though it was hard to tell beneath his head-wrap.

"Good. That is good. I will wait with your child." Ben, who was already half-way into the dome, stopped and stiffened. For a moment it seemed as though he would turn and say something. But in a moment he had unfrozen and disappeared inside.


	8. Blindness

_To be blind is not miserable; not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable._

_John Milton_

Life went on. Anakin slowly became accustomed to the Tusken Raiders, even learning to understand a bit of their language from Ro-Gar. Ro-Gar was, without a doubt, the Sand Person he was most comfortable with. Nothing of extreme importance happened until he was seven, almost eight. Then one morning all the trouble that had not been for three years decided to come all at once.

The first indication that it was going to be an eventful day came when Ben didn't come out of his room that morning. Both Anakin and his mom waited for an hour, but Anakin soon grew impatient. It was Boonta Eve, and if Ben didn't come out soon they'd miss the Pod Race. Anakin was _not _going to miss the Pod Race, so he slipped into Ben's room.

The sight that awaited him wasn't what he'd expected. Ben was just… lying there, staring at the ceiling with wide, vacant eyes.

"Come on, Ben," said Anakin. "We're going to be late!" Ben heaved a sigh.

"Y- You go on with your mother," he said. "You can drive the sand speeder, can't you?" Anakin could almost physically feel the waves of fear rolling off Ben.

"Ben, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." His voice was far too controlled.

"Something's wrong." Ben closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"My- You know that my eyesight has been getting worse." Anakin nodded. "It's gone." It was like a Hutt was squirming in pain inside Anakin's stomach.

"No!" His mouth was dry.

"I'm afraid it's quite true. But no need to worry."

"No need to worry?" _No need to worry? _There was every need to worry! Anakin had never felt so utterly helpless. Everything was spiraling out of control, and he knew, or thought, or _whatever_ that this shouldn't have happened, that this wasn't the way it was meant to be, that he should and could have somehow magically prevented this.

"Anakin, calm down." Ben's voice was steady, and the waves of fear Anakin had felt before smoothed to resignation and acceptance. "Let me tell you something."

"What?" said Anakin, teary-eyed but eager to hear what story Ben had.

"I used to know a woman. Brilliant warrior, excellent diplomat, and very skilled in… well, in my magic."

"There are more wizards?"

"Of course! What do you think I did, pop out of thin air? Anyways, her name was Tahl. She was sent to a hostile planet, but was captured by one of the warring tribes there. My Master and I-"

"You were a slave?" Anakin jumped up angrily.

"No, no. That's what wizards call the person who trains them."

"Oh."

"Anyways my Master and I were sent there to save her. When we did we found that her eyes had been badly damaged."

"She was blind?"

"We weren't sure if a doctor could help at the time. My Master took her to our… well, we wizards call it a temple."

"Like the Jedi?"

"A bit. I stayed behind to try to deal with the war. Eventually my Master came back for me, which was when I found out that the doctors could do nothing. She was permanently blind."

"What happened to her then?"

"She worked hard and trained, and eventually she became one of the best wizards."

"Wow! That's just… wizard! What's she doing now?"

"She died on a mission," said Ben tersely. "Now go to the Pod Race and have fun."

"Can't you come?"

"I could, but that would mean that I'd have to listen to you jabbering in my ear the whole time." Anakin laughed and went to tell his mom about Ben and how he'd get to drive the sand speeder.


	9. Fate

_Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like._

_― Lemony Snicket_

It had been exactly one day less than two years since Ben had lost his sight. This was the day he had been dreading since he'd found that he had gone back in time.

He didn't want to meet his Master. He didn't want to have to consider whether to give Anakin to the Jedi or keep him on Tatooine. He didn't want to see the rest of the world the way it had been before he had failed to be what Anakin needed. He was afraid.

It wasn't a Dark fear. He was honest enough with himself now to know that fear itself wasn't Dark. Neither was anger nor even, perhaps, hatred. No, this was a righteous fear, a fear that the boy he had this time raised from the age of three would again become a Sith. This was a fear that the balance he had somehow restored in himself and his life would be shaken. This was fear of the same thing being lost as had been last time.

He had decided not to seek the Jedi out. He would stay here and let them come to him if fate demanded it, and he could only hope that fate wouldn't demand this of him. After all, what was the balance? How could someone sent to restore balance destroy all the Darkness? The more you think about it, the less it makes sense. What joy is there in the day if it is endless?

Ben's balance was between the happiness and innocence of this Anakin and the angry Darkness that had consumed his brother. That made more sense. So he would wait, and he would pray to the Force that it wouldn't ask him to give up Anakin to the Jedi.

Of course, the Force has never answered his prayers.


	10. Broken

_God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever._

_Vance Havner_

"Not today," Ben muttered. "Oh, Force, of all the days for you to break down…" He was talking to their ancient vaporator. It was known for breaking, and usually he or Anakin could fix it without having to go to Mos Espa. This time, however, it was bad. They'd have to get a new motivator.

Ben slid out from under the vaporator and scratched his head. Of _course_ the one time they actually had to go to town was the day his Master would walk into Watto's junk shop looking for a hyperdrive. And of _course_ Watto's was also the only place in Mos Espa that would have a motivator for their old useless hunk of metal. Ben sighed.

"Anakin!" he called out. The door of their hovel slammed as Anakin ran out.

"What's it, Ben?" he said.

"The vaporator's motivator is gone. We're going to Mos Espa."

"Yippee!" said Anakin, running toward where they had last stashed to sandspeeder. Ben shook his head, mentally steeling himself for whatever was in store.

_A/N: Sorry for any update emails. I accidentally uploaded the previous chapter as this one._


	11. Reasons

_I know that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I wish I knew what that reason was._

_Unknown_

Qui-Gon Jinn was not especially happy. He had somehow ended up on this random little planet in the middle of nowhere, looking for a specific hyperdrive to replace their one that had been destroyed by the blockade of Naboo. He sighed. Sometimes he had to wonder why it was always the hyperdrive.

He entered one of the smaller parts dealers, with Padmé, R2-D2, and Binks trailing behind him. The moment he entered he stopped short. The Force rushed over him, staggering him with it's power, pointing him toward something improbable in the shop. It directed his eyes toward a counter off to the side.

He looked. At first glance all he saw were two customers, an old man and a young boy, talking to the male Toydarian who evidently owned the shop. He half-closed his eyes, feeling them out with the Force, and raised his eyebrows, stunned. They were... Both of them were powerful.

The boy had an aria that demanded attention. Raw power flowed around him; the Force seemed almost attracted to his presence. But what intrigued Qui-Gon Jinn the most was that, whenever the boy's power reached out too far and overstepped a boundary, the aria of the old man gently reined him in. The old man's presence almost cocooned the boy's, kept it from lashing out at every disturbance, protected it. Qui-Gon could only stare in amazement at the personification of a Master-Padawan team.

Suddenly the old man glanced behind him. His startlingly blue eyes caught Qui-Gon's, and they widened incrementally. Then the old man's head snapped forward.

"Come on, Anakin," he said, picking up the part that lay on the table.

"Aw, Ben..." the boy whined. Ben shook his head.

"Your mother will be waiting for us," he said. "Watto, it's been good doing business with you." The Toydarian nodded.

Ben and the boy, Anakin, swept past Qui-Gon and his company without a glance.


	12. Strength

_Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength._

_Saint Francis de Sales_

Qui-Gon Jinn left the shop in an even worse mood than he had entered it. The Toydarian, Watto, refused to accept Republic credits. If they couldn't find someone with the right type of hyperdrive who accepted credits, they would be stranded on this little backwater planet for an unknown period of time.

Suddenly the Force whirled around Qui-Gon, singing a warning to him with its melody. His head turned as though pulled by an unseen magnet. Warning trilled. Someone was in danger.

Qui-Gon raced through alleyways, barely stopping to tell Padme and R2-D2 to look after Jar-Jar and stay put. As he turned a corner he stopped. A cart's repulsor-lifts had failed as it turned, causing it to fly over on top of its driver. He gritted his teeth. There was nothing he could do here. If it was just him and Obi-Wan, he could risk blowing their cover, but the Queen could not be risked under any circumstances.

"Ben!" called out a voice behind him. Qui-Gon turned to see the boy from the shop, the old man at his heels. The old man slowed and closed his eyes. _He's blind, _Qui-Gon realized. He saw and heard Ben's aria spread about the narrow street as the old man stepped forward.

"Don't worry," the old man said calmly. People who were crowded around instantly made way for Ben.

"Can you help him, sir?" said a little girl no older than five. Ben nodded and reached out his hand. Qui-Gon's jaw dropped as the cart hovered into the air and was flung aside.

_A trained Force user here, of all places? _he thought. He pushed through the crowd to reach the old man. He had to check this out.


	13. Wizard

_Jason settled back on the bench. 'I hate to break this to you, but as a rule, wizards are nasty people. They're powerful, capricious, ruthless, egotistical, used to getting their own way. That's being kind._  
_Cinda Williams Chima_

Qui-Gon pushed his way through the crowd, but he couldn't seem to get to the old man. Finally the crowd began to disperse and Qui-Gon could plainly see the boy and the old man over by a sand speeder. He walked up to them.

"Hello," he said, unsure how to start the conversation. Ben seemed not to notice him, but Anakin turned.

"Hi," said Anakin. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk with Mr..." he trailed off.

"Just Ben is fine," said the old man, straightening. "Where are your companions?"

"My..." Qui-Gon winced. "I left them in the marketplace." Ben grunted.

"You'd best get back to them. Things aren't nearly as bad here as when I first came, but you're still running the risk of them being taken by slavers." Qui-Gon's eyebrows shot up.

"Slavers?" he said.

"You should get back to your ship, too. There's a sandstorm coming."

"A sandstorm?"

"How can you tell, Ben?" said Anakin excitedly. Ben smiled.

"You know very well how I can tell."

"He doesn't," said Anakin, jabbing a thumb in Qui-Gon's direction.

"He doesn't need to. Now come along, Anakin. We have to get back home before the sandstorm hits."

"When will it hit?" said Qui-Gon. Ben lifted his blind eyes toward the sky.

"In about half a standard hour," he said. Qui-Gon bit his bottom lip.

"We can't get back to our ship in time." Ben muttered under his breath.

"Fine," he said. "Come with us." Anakin pumped his fist in the air then turned to Qui-Gon.

"He can tell when it'll hit 'cause he's a wizard." Qui-Gon's mouth hung open and Ben groaned again.


	14. Truth in Lies

_A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar._  
_Mark Twain_

When the got to Anakin and Ben's home (which was no more than a hut), Ben jumped out of the speeder, shouted a few instructions at Anakin, and pulled Qui-Gon into the house. After a quick greeting toward Ms. Shmi Skywalker, Ben guided Qui-Gon toward a room that was isolated from the rest of the hut.

"Now," he said, "I'm sure you have plenty of questions." Qui-Gon blinked. Ben must have sensed his surprise through the Force because he smiled kindly. "I live with Anakin Skywalker. I know how to tell when someone is practically bursting with unasked questions."

"You're a wizard?" said Qui-Gon. Ben's mouth tightened.

"That's the term the locales use, yes."

"And the term you use?" Ben turned away from Qui-Gon, as though afraid of his face giving away too much.

"I've lived on Tatooine for over twelve years. Before that, well, let's just say I'm not what the people here have fashioned me as. They created a name and I kept it. It was easier that way."

"You lied to them."

"A lie of omission is sometimes better than an unbelievable truth. Besides, this was the best way to restore my inner... balance." Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes.

"You live on Tatooine yet you speak like a cultured man. Why?"

"As I said, I haven't always lived here."

"Where did you live before?" Ben's head drooped just a tiny bit.

"Nowhere."


	15. Truth

_Truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and therefore must be treated with great caution.  
J. K. Rowling_

Qui-Gon, Padme, and Jar-Jar were treated to a good meal. Ben sent Anakin to show Padme his room, and Shmi decided to fix the vaporator. Qui-Gon saw an excellent opportunity to get some real answers.

"Who are you?" Ben looked up reflexively.

"My name is Ben," he said. "Old Ben, Black Ben. Whichever adjective you prefer."

"I don't mean your name. Who are _you_? Who trained you in the Force? Did you ever have a student? Tell me about yourself."

"There is no need for you to know," said Ben, pronouncing each word carefully. Qui-Gon could feel the irritation prickling from the edges of his signature.

"Oh, but I think there is. I think you're hiding something."

"I am hiding many things. Most of them wouldn't mean much to you, at any rate, so there is no need to divulge them."

"I want to know who exactly you are and why you have Anakin and Ms. Skywalker under your roof."

"I bought them from a Hutt." Qui-Gon's chair clattered to the floor.

"They're your slaves." His voice was low and dangerous. Ben was remarkably calm.

"As long as they are technically owned by me they are under my protection. They won't be captured and sold again or killed by some gangster. I have made sure that Anakin and Shmi never feel as though they belong to me." Qui-Gon picked up his chair and sat down again, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh." Ben looked not quite into his eyes.

"You have a learner, don't you? A padawan?" Qui-Gon started.

"How did you-" Ben smiled.

"I am a hard man to keep secrets from." Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes, and then shrugged.

"Yes, I have a padawan, though he'll be ready for the trials soon."

"So you think he's ready?" Qui-Gon snorted.

"He's been ready for years. I've only been holding him back because… well, my last padawan didn't…"

"He fell." Qui-Gon flinched. "You're worried your current padawan will do the same."

"No, Obi-Wan would never fall. He's already a better Jedi than I'll ever be. I just… I'm aware that I haven't always been the best master for him. I don't want to give him up just yet." Ben looked away.

"You love him."

"Is that so wrong?" said Qui-Gon defensively. "He's the best padawan any master could hope to have, and I'm aware that he deserves far better than me. But once he is a Knight… I won't be able to watch over him anymore. He'd risk his life for a mission, and I don't want him to die. I protect him now-"

"But what about when you're gone?" Ben muttered. He looked at Qui-Gon squarely, his face actively trying to hide some emotion. "I would like to meet him."

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes. You've made me curious, Master Jinn." Qui-Gon nodded. The Force was singing to him, telling him that the meeting had to happen.


	16. The Man He Once Was

_How little remains of the man I once was, save the memory of him!_  
_Charles Baudelaire_

When Obi-Wan Kenobi received the message from his Master, he was curious and a bit suspicious. An old man of astounding power in the Force wanted to meet him in the middle of the desert. It sounded like a set-up or a trap to him. Still, for some reason, he wasn't getting the bad feeling he always seemed to get before things began to explode.

It was their second day stuck on Tatooine. Obi-Wan struck out into the desert on a borrowed sandspeeder, following his Master's Force signature like the trail of bread crumbs in an old children's story he had heard once. Eventually he came to... well, you couldn't quite call it a house. It had evidentially been a one-room dwelling before being added on to haphazardly. It did not impress, but Obi-Wan could clearly sense the nexus the Force had created there. It was a fated place.

The Padawan hopped out of the speeder and cast around with his senses. There were multiple presences, but three stood out. One was his Master's. The other two were stranger. One was untrained, volitile, but of greater power than he had ever sensed before. The other was... different. It was trained, obviously, but it ran deeper than any he had ever sensed save Yoda's. It was mysterious, sad, old, wise. The corner of Obi-Wan's mouth twitched. That would be the old man, Ben, that his Master had told him about.

The presence came closer. He was drawn to it for some reason, perhaps because it was oddly familiar. A man with a shock of white hair and a scruffy beard emerged from the dwelling. He didn't look at Obi-Wan, but he knew he was there. Ben gestured for the twenty-five year old to follow and began walking toward a rocky outcropping. Obi-Wan hesitated, but he followed.


	17. Mirror

_What does a mirror look at?_  
_Frank Herbert_

Obi-Wan didn't know why he hadn't seen it before. Now it was obvious, painfully obvious. The eyes were his, the Force signature was his but older, and he was disappointed to note that he apparently wasn't going to get any taller.

"You're me," he said. The old man, Ben, smiled sadly.

"You caught on fast. Master Qui-Gon hasn't guessed yet." Obi-Wan shifted awkwardly.

"Isn't there some sort of rule that you can't talk to me or you'll mess up the future?" he said.

"That's what I'm trying to do." Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I won't tell you much. I don't think I can. I've tried to change the future by being here, by helping Anakin. I don't know if it will work. Chances are that I've failed somewhere along the line."

"I'm going to fail, aren't I?" The corner of Ben's mouth twitched.

"I did. The rest is up to you. I've tried to make your job easier than it would have been, but..." Ben trailed off. "Please listen to my advice. Take it or don't take it, I don't care. Just listen, please."

"I'm listening." Ben took a deep breath.

"Trust the Force. Whatever you do, you have to trust the Force."

"I know that-"

"Even if it doesn't make sense, even if it goes against the Code, you have to promise that you won't brush it off."

"I won't." Ben smiled.

"Balance... Balance doesn't mean light necessarily. There is always darkness, even if it is hidden. It's inside you and me, inside us all. Balance is making sure that neither light nor darkness consumes us, even if that means abandoning what we used to be."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan was becoming more and more frustrated with the older him. He was more infuriating than Yoda.

"You'll see," said Ben with a smile, and then he... faded away.


	18. In Another Life

_In another life who knows what we'd become?  
_"Don't Blink" by Relient K

There is nothing more to say of this story. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Padme, and the rest hitched a ride back to Coruscant with a smuggler who had owed Black Ben a favor. Anakin and Shmi were freed with Ben's death, and they decided to go with the Jedi.

In the end many things were the same. Qui-Gon was killed on Naboo less than a week later by a Sith named Darth Maul. Obi-Wan trained Anakin as a Jedi. Anakin and Padme fell in love and got married. The Clone Wars began and ended.

But in the end many things were changed. Maybe it was because Obi-Wan was mindful of Ben's advice, though he didn't understand it. Maybe it was because Anakin always felt as though the man he had thought of was with him, guiding him in the Light. Maybe it was because Obi-Wan and Anakin truly trusted each other this time around; maybe it was because the Council eventually relaxed the rule on attachments.

Regardless, in the end Anakin didn't massacre the Sand People. In the end, he didn't trust Palpatine more than the Jedi. In the end, it only took one old wizard, one stranger, to make all the difference in the galaxy.

13 years later the Jedi were not destroyed, the Sith did not win, and Anakin did not fall to the Dark Side. 13 years later, Padme gave birth to twins and did not die in childbirth. Their names were Ben and Leia.


End file.
